Aira: Lady of the Light
by lowtidehightea
Summary: What was set in motion before Adakias and Anhura met? Why did it take 100 years in the land of Razia for the Light and Dark to finally unite? This story aims to enlighten the reader to events preceding the union of Razia. Prophecies are not always as they seem... (Aira is an OC inspired by the musical Razia's Shadow)
1. Prologue

**Razia's Shadow and all related characters and song references are owned by Forgive Durden. The only thing I claim to own is the character Aira and sub-sequential OCs to come. **

Prologue

_There's something you need to understand about prophecies my child. They are nothing like and yet exactly as they seem. Life is filled with paradoxes my dear, and there are some things you just cannot change._

In the Kingdom of the Light there are no seasons. The leaves of the trees are always golden; the shimmering silver of lakes and rivers never freeze. The Kingdom of the Light is an eternal summer. A summer created by seraphs. Time also passes differently than you might expect, being that there are no seasons to mark a calendar. The world of Razia does not spin on an axis; it does not exist in the universe we know. For Razia, years are arbitrary and marked by the succession of kings.

How then, could the prophecy come to be that in 100 years a boy of Ahrima's decent would unite the two kingdoms? How could such a thing be predicted when neither the Light nor the Dark have an agreed concept of time? This story, I hope will open your eyes so that you may understand the events that took place to make the Dark and Light align once again.


	2. A Shadowed Thought

Chapter 1

"The Dark does not exist anymore Aira, surly you know that," Aira's father addressed her although he had his back turned and was looking out into the garden. Flowers of varying colors glistened in the light of The Star. Aira was named after one of those flowers that grew in the Kingdom of the Light. It was a small flower that seemed to grow anywhere it pleased.

"But father, how can we know? They perhaps think the same of us, isn't about time that we came to an agreement with one another?" she neared the arch way.

"For what purpose?" her father was stern and still avoided her gaze. "The Dark got what it deserved and it is no concern of ours! I will not risk anything, _anything_, to ally the Light with the Dark. Scientist knows what could happen."

Wind blew through the archway that the two seraphs were standing beneath. "So you would deny the prophecies for the sake of your throne?" Aira finally spoke.

Her father turned away from the garden and looked directly into her turquoise eyes. Aira knew she had pushed him far too close to the edge. He did not speak. He breathed silently and slowly, she could see his chest expand under the layers of white silken robes he wore. Her father remained silent and it was apparent he would speak no more on the matter. Aira looked out at the garden and sighed as she heard the footsteps of her father disappearing down the corridor.

_Scientist help me._

Aira had spent many of her childhood days by the Lake of Nhillia. It was not a vast lake, but the silver water was refreshing and the golden sand was warm. It was also near the lake that she had created a hide away. It was made from the dusty clay of the bog near the lake that was dried by The Star. In the shade of gold trees and surrounded by crimson weeds Aira had found peace in her solitude. Only recently had she returned to the abandoned shanty when a shadow had begun to grow in her mind. Scrolls, scripts, and scribes were scattered on the ground of the shack that had become infested with blue everglows (an iridescent flower that only grows in the shade). Aira opened a thatched cover that let light flow into the hut so she could see her forgotten thoughts better. All the scrolls and scraps of paper were stories of the Dark and the Light during the Great Flame and what conspired afterwards. Aira had memorized the tale of Nidria and Ahrima; she knew that the same blood of the great queen flowed inside her.

Times had changed from the age of Nidria, though. Many people did not believe the Dark still existed, some even denied the existence of Nidria herself and her once lover who became the King of the Dark. It had been many years since then and 97 Kings of Light had already succeeded the throne after Nidria. Aira knew her father was young and even more time would have to pass if the prophecy were to ever unravel in truth. Perhaps the prophecies weren't right though. Maybe 100 years had already passed in the Kingdom of the Dark. Her thoughts ran tireless laps inside her mind, eating away at any patience she had.

But there was one thought, one thought in particular, that had been growing like a virus. The thought that something must be done about the prophecy… _perhaps_, she thought, _there is a spark necessary_.

A single light in the darkness can start a fire.

She packed quite a few things although it did not seem like it. She packed compactly but with enough food and supplies to last her at least 5 cycles of Little Star (about 1 month). In this time she planned to make her way to the Kingdom of the Dark and then a greater plan evolved in her mind. She wasn't even sure if the Kingdom of the Dark still existed, although she believed it so. If her quest turned out in vain it would be risky to come back.

Coming back at all would cause a great scandal, but coming back unsuccessful would only gain her detainment.

She also knew that if she did find the Kingdom of the Dark it would take a great deal of time studying the citizens and surrounding area to successfully penetrate the city where she had no doubt the King and Queen of the Dark resided. Of course she meant to get found out somehow, but it had to be in her way, she had to be in control.

_And last but not least of all I need to marry the Prince of the Dark_


	3. The Great Divide

Chapter 2

In her hands she held a map of the Great Divide. It was an ancient map with runes she did not recognize. It had taken an incredible amount of stealth to steal this from the Royal Archives; it gave Aira confidence that she would be able to infiltrate the Dark.

Still her plan was faulty. _What happens when I finally meet the Prince of the Dark_, she thought _what if he does not believe in the prophecies anymore than the seraphs here do?_ How was she to convince someone to marry her if they did not believe? Maybe it would be necessary to use an amount of force to get them to see. Maybe if the Prince of the Dark came to the Light, he would see how wonderful it was and fall in love with her eventually. _But I don't need to worry about that just yet._

She had already left her home in the palace. Unsure of what to wear to disguise herself she gave up and decided to wear her most comfortable traveling clothes and her golden cloak. Everything was so bright and glowing as Little Star itself, but it couldn't be helped. Even the skin of the seraphs glowed from within. She couldn't hide who she was completely, but she figured the Light and the Dark couldn't be that different from one another.

Naturally she left without a goodbye. She figured it would take time for the seraphs to realize she had gone somewhere beyond the Light. That was the thing with the Light; there was nowhere to go that someone could not be found. No one was ever deemed lost, because everyone knew right where a lost seraph would be. How strange it would be then, for them to find that Aira, the Princess of the Light, had gone completely missing.

Mentally Aira had planned out her journey from the Light to the Great Divide. She would have to hike up the massive mountain, of which the size she was not completely certain. Surly it would take a few weeks.

Although her pack was light, it contained much sustenance and she only ate once a day.

There was no path that led to the mountain. She crossed through fields of crimson weeds and forests of metallic trees. The heat did not bother Aira it was comforting to her. She found that it gave her a certain amount of energy. She trekked on and on, only stopping once before she got to the base of the Great Divide.

"So this is it," she thought out loud. There really was no going back now, she would never bring herself to do it.

She climbed, hiked, walked, ran, crawled and slept. For days it continued and she found that she had never experienced something so grueling in her life.

_Aira it is dead you know. That happens to living things. Eventually all living things will die. _Even you?_ Aira asked. _Even _you, he said._

Aira gasped as she awoke from a nightmare. The air was thin and she was growing weary of her entire adventure. It would only be one more day until she reached the top of the Great Divide. She started feeling something she had never experience at all in her life, the feeling of coldness.

The brothers were fishing in a small inlet of Holy the Sea that connected the Great Divide to the Lone Shore. Baba had a way of reciting random poetry while he fished:

Sir, yes sir, tip us

Dip us ooooh,

It's a ship and a fish

Tip us dip usssss

Baruka sat silently and most of the time this is how they passed days. The sea was vast and they had seen most of it. So long they had lived on their small boat, so long it had been since the Great Flame.

Suddenly both brothers felt a spark, as if electricity ran through their fishing poles. Immediately Baruka reeled in quickly as if to see that he had caught a new kind of fish that gave off this sensation. But there was nothing on the end of his line. Baba too, found that nothing had pulled on the end of his line.

"Now what do you suppose that was, eh?" Baba spoke after the brothers exchanged glances.

"Not a clue Baba, not a clue. What we - ," and suddenly they noticed a light. A small beacon had been lit at the Great Divide, calling the boatmen.

The journey down the mountain took a considerable less amount of time. At first Aira was awed and taken aback when she had reached the concrete peak. _So this is it, this is the Dark._ Wearily she made her way down the mountain until she had reached the shore of Holy the Sea.

It was like nothing she had ever seen before. It was as if she had stepped into a whole new reality that could not be seen from the Light. The Dark was overall a shade of blue. The sky was only filled with the light of dim silver stars. It was so deeply sapphire that she wasn't sure if the sea reflected in the sky or the sky reflected in the sea. The water was calm and serene. She never saw anything so peaceful in her life.

Near the shore she saw a small lantern hanging by a hook. The lantern was so old and rusted Aira was sure it must be a remnant of an old lamp she had read about. She was sure that all of them had been destroyed but this, this looked like what she had imagined in all the stories about the Great Flame.

Beyond the shore was nothing but the sea. Beyond the sea however she could see more mountains. Trying not to feel disappointed about climbing more mountains, Aira concentrated on the task ahead of her. First she had thought that something must be done about her clothes. Hiking up and down the mountain had no doubt made her quite dirty and disheveled. But seeing the habitat of the Dark she had come to the conclusion that the seraphs probably dressed like their surroundings just as the seraphs of the Light did.

So kneeling down into the blueish muck and mud of the shore she smeared dirt on her cloak and tied her hair up tight and masked it with mud as well. Then she put the hood of the cloak over her head and smeared a bit of dirt on her face to hopefully hide the glow that her skin naturally produced.

Feeling accomplished with her disguise she then returned to the lamp. _This must be a beacon, and since I see no other way to get across the sea I may as well call for help._ Reaching inside of the antiquated lamp she clicked her fingers to create a spark. It took a few times before she successfully ignited the old lamp and then it began to glow with a light much like The Star. It was beautiful and strange and while she waited, Aira contemplated how such a small pretty thing like that lamp could have created such a horrible misunderstanding between the Light and the Dark.

She sat down and waited. Only then had she realized her exhaustion and began to nod off.

The only thing that woke her was a voice that said, "S'cuse us m'lady, you called?"


	4. Boatmen

Chapter 3

The brothers paddled swiftly towards the glowing light that had appeared on the shore of the Great Divide. Uncertain of what could have possibly caused the lamp to light up. Their curiosity was unquenchable. What, or who, could have done it? It had been a long time since the brothers had to ferry anyone across Holy the Sea, longer than they knew. Deftly their oars sliced through the calm pristine sea and moved them ever closer to shore.

It was a most curious sight indeed. The lamp that had been dormant since the Great Flame was lit and glowing with soft brilliance. Near the lamp the brothers found a body lying in a heap of dirty robes. As their boat docked into the dusty blue sand they peered closer upon the body.

"It appears to be a lady," Baba pointed out.

"Not only that," said Baruka, "but you don't suppose she came from… well you know," as he gestured to the top of the Great Divide with his oar.

"Aye, now wouldn't that be something."

The brothers were never allowed to leave their boat as O instructed them during the Great Flame. They were never to root in land and grow together as one and become the next oracle. They were supposed to wait for the prophecy to play itself out. Perhaps the time had come.

Aira awoke to the sound of two voices calling out to her. She opened her eyes and looked about curiously for she had forgotten where she was. Lying in the cold dark sand she looked up and saw two strange creatures in a boat. They were not seraphs but they were not animals either.

"M'lady, I believe you called upon us," Baba spoke clearly fearing that maybe she would not understand his language. For further emphasis he pointed at the lamp that still glowed.

"Ah, yes… that is, I wasn't sure how to cross the sea. I need to return." Aira spoke while fumbling over her words. Who or what were these boatmen?

"Please take a seat then m'lady and we shall ferry you wherever you wish. That is our purpose after all." Baruka smiled at the young seraph and welcomed her into the boat.

Picking up her pack Aira joined them in the small wooden boat. The coldness of the night had enveloped her and she felt rather uncomfortable.

Noticing at her shivering Baba said, "Sorry m'lady we don't have anything to keep you warm. It would seem to be unreasonably cold this evening wouldn't you say?"

Aira wasn't at all sure what to say. Anything could give her away; perhaps this was normal weather for the Dark and the boatmen were trying to trick her. "I suppose," was all she managed.

They had begun to sail and Aira felt even more wary about her choice. She had not come from the Dark, what if seraphs in the Dark never travelled and they thought it odd. But they were skilled at boating and so she figured they must have done so quite often.

"You are quiet m'lady, long journey?" Baruka finally asked her.

"I suppose," she said again looking out into the sea.

"First time on a boat miss?" Baba asked.

Indeed, it was Aira's first time on a boat. She knew how to swim all right, but a boat was a whole new experience for her. "Yes, it is," she said still avoiding eye contact.

"Well the journey is still longer ahead of us, you won't mind if we sing to pass the time do you?" politely Baba asked Aira.

_Interesting creatures_, thought Aira. "I don't mind."

The brothers began with a slow song about the tale of something called Holy the Sea of which Aira had no knowledge of. Her scripts and scrolls had made no mention of it. She recognized a few references in the song like O the Scientist and the Great Flame but anything else was all new to her. By listening though she came to understand that Holy the Sea was the sea she was sailing on now. It was part of the divided terrain just as much as the Great Divide was.

The next song they sang was about a prophecy that Aira knew well. It was about Ahrima and the lamps and how Toba the Tura fought Ahrima and banished him further into the dark. It was quite a long song and by the time it was over Aira had burning questions.

"You know the prophecies?" She questioned, unsure if it was a smart thing to ask.

"Aye miss," answered Baba, "We know many prophesies like the back of our hands."

"We know the _true_ prophecies as laid down by Gargul himself. Nothing is rumored or twisted with the words of seraphs," Baruka said and confirmed Aira's suspicion that they were not seraphs.

"Are there more like you two then? I don't suppose you are a seraph," Aira asked them in more words than she had spoken since they left the shore.

"No miss, we aren't seraphs, rather, we are more oracular beings than anything else." Baba said not hinting at much. Again, Aira had to keep guessing.

"But where do you live, are there more of your kind where you live?" Pressing the matter Aira became very serious. The brothers shifted but kept rowing.

"M'lady," Baruka began, "This, this boat, is where we live."

There was silence only interrupted by the sound of water flowing over the oars and under the boat.

"How did you end up here? Don't you ever want to leave?" She felt sympathy for the creatures.

"Would that we could m'lady but we cannot leave, not until the prophecy is fulfilled you see." Baruka explained.

"Aye, 'tis true miss. We were put here by O himself and cannot leave even if we wished it." Baba sighed and looked out into the sea.

"But that would make you… over 97 years old!" Aira was astonished. Nothing she knew could live that long. _All living things die Aira._

"97?" Baba asked. "I suppose that's how you look at time m'lady."

"Hasn't it been 99 years since the Great Flame?" Baruka inquisitively directed his question at Baba.

_99 years_, Aira thought. So time did pass differently in the Dark. That meant 100 years was upon them and then the prophecy was at hand. She wondered how they measured time though, and how long it would take for 100 years to arrive. Perhaps she could wait long enough until 100 years of the Dark had passed and finally return to the Light with the Prince of the Dark.

She tuned out the brothers as they chatted. Eventually it turned into a heated discussion about fish that she didn't know anything about, and then Baba started reciting what Aira figured was poetry, although she did not recognize that either.

Although it was no time to be contemplating her own happiness it finally hit Aira that perhaps she had made the wrong decision. It had already been decided whom she would marry in the Light and eventually they would rule together and a new year would begin. What if going to the Dark was a bad idea? What if the Prince had no love in his heart whatsoever, for her or the seraphs of the Light? What if they were all had tainted hearts like Ahrima? What if…

"M'lady?" Baruka asked her suddenly. Aira started.

"Yes?" she responded looking about. It seemed they had made it to the opposite shore.

"We've arrived miss," Baba pointed out.

On this shore there was another creature. Aira could not be sure if he was a seraph or something like the boatmen.

Aira stepped deftly out of the boat and reached into her pack to give the brothers a token of her appreciation. She wasn't sure what these creatures liked, she knew that they ate fish but she didn't suppose they had anything besides that. She handed them three wrapped, baked wafers and a little bottle of the palace's finest liquor that warmed one up from the inside out. The brothers thanked her gratefully and kissed her had.

The creature onshore watched her carefully and Aira was wary. She waved the brothers off as they rowed back into the now misty sea.

"The lone shore man is warning ya' miss. All living things must die miss. All things die." The creature was the lone shore man and he grumbled deeply as if he had not spoken for years on end.

_All living things must die_

Aira gave a slight gasp and briskly turned while wrapping her dirt-encrusted cape around her body. Then she walked quickly towards the rolling mountains that awaited her.

"So brother, you think she is from the Light?" Baba and Baruka watched as Aira made her way past the lone shore man and towards the Valley of Hills.

"I dare say that she is of royal blood Baba," Baruka responded.

"This is not what the prophecy predicts, I don't think anything will come of this venture. Although she is courageous for trying, I think it a tragedy." Baba solemnly noted.

"Yes, somehow I get the feeling we will not be ferrying her back." And with that the brothers lost sight of Aira as the mist grew thicker and she became a speck in the distance.


End file.
